Upstepping

Upstepping
Studio album by
Oliver Coates
Released13 May 2016 (2016-05-13)
Length45:02
LabelPrah
ProducerOliver Coates
Oliver Coates chronology
Towards the Blessed Islands
(2013)		 Upstepping
(2016)		 Shelley's on Zenn-La
(2018)

Upstepping is the second studio album by English cellist Oliver Coates. It was released on 13 May 2016 through Prah Recordings.

Background

Oliver Coates is an English cellist from London. Upstepping is his second solo album, following Towards the Blessed Islands (2013). In a 2016 interview, Stephen Bass, the founder of Prah Recordings, recalled, "I firmly believed that a lot of people whose music I respect from the dance world would really love Oliver's first album, so I wanted to do something that was going to catch the ears of those people." Most sounds on Upstepping originate from the cello which he played and then processed digitally. The album was released on 13 May 2016 through Prah Recordings.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar
Clash9/10
Loud and Quiet9/10
MusicOMHStarStarStarStar

Gareth James of Clash described Upstepping as "a bizarre, ambitious and outrageously good record." Tom Fenwick of Loud and Quiet commented that it "blends stark electronica and experimental classicism into a magnificent album, which sees Coates skirt the edge of perfection." Bekki Bemrose of AllMusic wrote, "Unsurprisingly, it's a work that has seen him likened to the late Arthur Russell, and on the strength of this collection, it's a deserved comparison." Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH stated, "Because of the ebb and flow, that movement between frenetic and calm, Upstepping makes a strong and lasting impact."

Accolades

Year-end lists for Upstepping
Publication List Rank Ref.
Loud and Quiet The Loud and Quiet Top 40 Albums of 2016
7
MusicOMH musicOMH's Top 50 Albums of 2016
38

Track listing

All tracks are written by Oliver Coates.

Upstepping track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Innocent Love"7:20
2."Timelapse (Walrus)"7:40
3."Bambi 2046"5:16
4."Perfect Love"6:53
5."Memorial to Hitchens"2:54
6."The Irish Book of Death & Flying Ships"2:56
7."Stash"8:18
8."Rise & Fall"3:42
Total length:45:02

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

References

  1. 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Oliver Coates". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Battaglia, Andy (16 August 2016). "Label Profile: PRAH Recordings". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Walton, Sam (25 June 2016). "Oliver Coates: The cellist that became obsessed with the sound of early '90s pirate radio". Loud and Quiet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Hogwood, Ben (15 May 2016). "Oliver Coates – Upstepping". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 Bemrose, Bekki. "Oliver Coates: Upstepping". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 James, Gareth (23 May 2016). "Oliver Coates - Upstepping". Clash. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 Fenwick, Tom (19 May 2016). "Oliver Coates - Upstepping". Loud and Quiet. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "The Loud And Quiet top 40 albums of 2016". Loud and Quiet. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2016". MusicOMH. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Upstepping | Oliver Coates". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 9 September 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Oliver Coates - Upstepping". Boomkat. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Oliver Coates (2016). Upstepping (vinyl liner notes). Prah Recordings.